Zero Challenge
by Cariad Dewin
Summary: AU. Zero Kiryu disappeared the night Hiou attacked his family, and the VHA assumed him dead. Years later, as Rido Kuran threatens to rise, a feral Zero appears at Cross Academy.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

Summary: AU. Zero Kiryu disappeared the night Hiou attacked his family and the VHA assumed him dead. Years later, as Rido Kuran threatens to rise, a feral Zero appears at Cross Academy.

Rating: M

Warnings: Blood, Death, Language, Mentions of Sex (F/M, M/M)

A/N: As this is an AU things are happening differently than they did in the manga. [SPOILERS] For example, this starts when Yuuki is a _human_ second-year, Rido is not free yet, the VHA is still messing around, etc…

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><p>Zero Challenge<p>

By Cariad Dewin

Chapter One

Cross Academy was a rather unusual school. The private boarding academy was separated into two classes, a Day Class and a Night Class. The Day Class was for students who were by no means average, most being the children of wealthy and influential people or were intelligent enough to afford scholarships. They took classes during the daylight hours and lived in the Sun Dorms. Students in the Day Class almost to a man agreed on one thing: the members of the Night Class were the coolest kids alive. The Night Class, as the name suggested, took classes at nighttime and lived in the Moon Dorm. Like the Day Class, the Night Class was by no means for the average person. The number one qualification for the Night Class was to be a vampire.

Cross Academy was truly an unusual school—the only place on Earth where humans and vampires lived in harmony. Of course, barring a few exceptions, the Headmaster and the prefects that guarded the school, none of the humans knew the Night Class was composed of vampires. The Night Class preferred to keep this information to themselves and allowed the Day Class to admire them from afar.

Kaname Kuran served as president of the Night Class. He was a pureblood vampire having no human blood in his ancestry, one of the elite of the elite. He sought to create peace between vampires and humans in honor of his late parents and also for a more personal reason. He was the one who led the young purebloods to Cross Academy, hoping that instilling them with a sense of knowledge and respect for average humans would carry over to their political views once they replaced their parents. It was a slow plan, but as vampires were near immortal, Kaname was willing to take his time.

As president, Kaname dealt with the human aspect of the school more often than the rest of his classmates. He was personally acquainted with Kaien Cross, founder and headmaster of the school, as well as the three prefects from the Day Class. The first prefect was Yuuki Cross, Kaien's adopted daughter. Kaname had saved her from vampires when she was five years old, and the rest of background was a mystery. The second prefect was Saboten Hageshi. She too was parentless. She had fled her orphanage at a young age when it was attacked by rogue vampires. Eventually she wandered to Cross Academy and trained herself as a vampire hunter. The final prefect, Kaito Takamiya, was a young vampire hunter from the Japanese Vampire Hunters' Association. He had been trained by Toga Yagari, a long time friend of Kaien's, and though Kaito hated vampires with a passion, he performed his duties faultlessly.

It was a Sunday evening in early April. School had been in session for barely a week, and Kaname was responding to an urgent request from the Headmaster. A light breeze brought the sweet scent of a new spring as he walked across campus. The cherry trees were going to blossom soon, but Kaname was in too much of a hurry to reflect on the beauty of nature. He had a feeling that Kaien's message was related to the news he had been hearing from the Vampire Senate.

Kaname glided smoothly into the headmaster's office with nary a hair out of place. Even if he was anxious, he could hardly let it show. The three prefects were already waiting as well as the vampire hunter Toga Yagari, Kaito's master and occasional substitute ethics teacher. Kaname nodded his head lightly in acknowledgement, then took the ornate chair waiting for him next to the fireplace.

"I apologize for bringing you all here on such short notice," said Kaien. "But the Hunters' Association has released some information that I think you all need to hear. Toga, if you would?"

Toga Yagari was the top ranked hunter in the VHA. He was a dark, intimidating man and had lost an eye at some point in the past. Kaname had never inquired as to how. His relationship with Cross was surprising to say the least. Their personalities were as different as night and day.

"For the past few years, the Hunters' Association has been tracking a curious phenomena. Level Es, vampires that have lost all traces of their humanity, have been killed in large numbers. The locations are seemingly random but almost always within a few days walking distance of the last. Teams dispatched to the locations affected have found the occasional pile of dust but nothing substantial as to tell us who is doing this. The dustings have been attributed to a single vampire killer as a larger group would be easier to track.

"Ten months ago, the Association thought the vampire killer had met his match, but then six months ago he reappeared on the mainland. Since then, he has been unerringly making his way toward Cross Academy. The last report put him in a city ten miles from here. That was two days ago," said Yagari.

Yuuki gasped dramatically and glanced fearfully in Kaname's direction. Saboten was mildly perturbed by the information. She was friends with Ruka and Kain of the Night Class but was not worried by the idea of something killing Level Es. Kaito was reliably blank faced. He had likely received a similar report from the VHA and, unlike Saboten, had absolutely no reason to worry about vampires being killed.

Kaname considered his next words carefully. "The Senate has also been keeping track of this killer. I am not sure the Hunters' Association is aware, but whoever this is, he has also killed several C and D level vampires that have acted less than charitably toward humans."

Kaito made an inelegant noise. Yagari shook his head slightly, indicating he had heard nothing of the sort. Kaname was not surprised in the least.

"As there is a slight chance that this killer may attack the school, I would like you three to be on alert," said Kaien, addressing the prefects. "If you see anyone unusual lurking about campus, let either myself or Toga know immediately."

The three students all nodded seriously. "We'll be sure to stay on the lookout," added Yuuki for emphasis.

Kaien beamed at her. "That's my lovely daughter! Give papa a hug!"

Before Cross could start his loving father routine, the other two grabbed Yuuki by the arms and dragged her out of the room. She barely had time to fumble an embarrassed good-bye to Kaname before the door shut.

As soon as the students disappeared, Kaien assumed a more serious expression. "Do you have any other information about this killer, Kaname-sama?"

"Do you remember Maria Kurenai?" asked Kaname.

"She was the pureblood, who arrived with Ichiru," said Toga. "The one that was possessed by Shizuka Hiou."

Kaname nodded. He was not surprised Toga remembered her. Ichiru had been a student of his along with Kaito. The revelation that the last of the Kiryu clan was alive and living with a vampire had upset both hunters. Last year, the pureblood had come to the school searching for something. She had left before the semester had finished. No amount of pleading on Yagari or Kaito's part had kept Ichiru from going with her.

"Ten months ago, I received a letter from Kurenai-san saying that Kuruizaki-hime had found what she was looking for. Two months later, I received another letter announcing that Shizuka Hiou and her servant had been murdered. When the vampire killer emerged again, he was in a city bordering on Hiou's territory," said Kaname intently.

It was more information than the Senate would have liked him to share with the humans, but Kaname had reason to be concerned. While this vampire killer would likely be no threat to him, the other students in the Night Class were much weaker than the pureblood Hiou. Yagari and Cross were both too professional to openly reveal their shock, but they had tensed in a way that betrayed their understanding of the situation.

"The children won't have a chance," said Kaien referring to the prefects.

Kaname held up a hand. "We have no reason to believe the vampire killer will attack ordinary humans. Ichiru Kiryu seems to have been the one exception to the rule."

"But why was he the exception to the rule?" asked Yagari. "Was it because he defended a vampire? If that's so, then kids are definitely in danger."

Kaname hated to admit it, but he had not considered that possibility. All of the other vampires had been antagonistic toward humans. Kaname still did not understand why this killer was coming toward Cross Academy. It was true that they were deceiving the majority of the student population, but they were not harming them in anyway. He, Cross, and Yagari discussed a few more possibilities before Kaname dismissed himself.

The pureblood took the long way back to the Moon Dorm. It would hardly due for his fellow vampires to sense his concern. Such a case would spell disaster. He had crossed the wall separating the vampires from the humans and was walking one of the more artful paths through the woods when something tugged on his senses. Kaname paused and stretched outward with his mind. Up ahead, there was something new among the trees.

Kaname exerted his powers to make himself all but invisible to the senses. He crept silently up the path. Stepping lightly as to not crush a single leaf, he stepped beneath the trees and closer to the "new thing" in the woods. He stopped as he approached a wild cherry tree, one that was likely not meant to be in this shadowed grove of oak and pine. A larger tree had fallen, maybe to some long-ago storm, allowing the cherry to grow in its place.

Lying against the trunk, framed by soft pink petals and moonlight, was a familiar-looking boy. A boy he had just told Cross was dead less than an hour before.

"Ichiru Kiryu," he said quietly but firmly.

The boy's eyes snapped open. Kaname was startled by the bloody red gaze. The boy was feral, an ex-human, and had been one for years to judge by the madness in his eyes. Kaname shook his head slightly. Ichiru had not been a vampire last year. Even in the depths of her madness, Shizuka Hiou had never turned her most loyal follower. He held too much of her regard to suffer that fate. Ichiru had a twin, he remembered now, one that had died when Hiou attacked the Kiryu clan.

"Zero," said Kaname.

In the space of an eye-blink, Kaname was being pressed back against a tree. Zero was strong despite his skinny frame, and the boy was thin. Kaname could feel every jutting bone through both their sets of clothes. To his surprise, there were no fangs at his throat but the cold muzzle of a gun at his temple. He recognized the Bloody Rose, which had been stolen from the Hunters' Association almost five years ago.

"How do you know my name?"

Zero's voice was a growl, but it was more than Kaname had heard any ex-human speak. The pureblood attempted to maintain his usual authority, despite the tree bark digging into his back, the gun in his face, and the potentially insane hunter-turned-vampire demanding him to speak.

"I know Toga Yagari," said Kaname carefully.

A look of surprise crossed Zero's face, and for a brief moment, Kaname thought he saw a flash of lavender. Zero eased away from Kaname though the gun never wavered. He looked suspicious, not the way a human looked suspicious, but the way an animal did. Kaname was sure if it would not affect his aim that the boy would be pacing.

"How did you know my brother?" asked Zero.

"I met Ichiru Kiryu when he accompanied Maria Kurenai," explained Kaname.

Zero bared his teeth. "Maria Kurenai? Are you sure it was her?"

Kaname was confused—though he hated to admit it even to himself. Every single one of his senses screamed that the boy in front of him was a level E. Except the boy was making conversation, implying that he could control himself and use his brain. More than a little unnerved by Zero's actions, Kaname started subtly gathering his power in preparation to deal with the boy.

"She was possessed by Shizuka Hiou at the time," said Kaname, "but the body was that of Maria Kurenai."

Zero nodded, apparently pleased by the answer. "And who are you?"

"I am Kaname Kuran, president of the Night Class," he added.

The boy tensed unexpectedly. The gun, which had been slowly lowering, was suddenly pointing back at Kaname's head. He responded instinctively, releasing his power not to kill the boy, as he originally intended, but instead to put him to sleep. Zero withstood the assault longer than Kaname had expected, enough time to squeeze the trigger on the Bloody Rose before he collapsed. Kaname dodged out of the way. Letting the anti-vampire bullet bounce harmlessly off the tree behind him.

Kaname approached the fallen Zero and saw to his surprise that the boy was still fighting. His eyes were full of angry defiance, but instead of the bright red Kaname had become so intimately familiar with, they were a softer lavender color. He had only a minute to stare astonished at the change before Zero's will broke and he succumbed to slumber.

Ever so carefully, Kaname reached down and pulled the anti-vampire gun away from Zero's limp grasp. He tucked it into a pocket before examining the rest of the boy. He was messier than Ichiru had been. His hair was shorter but wilder and his face leaner. He had found someone to pierce both his ears multiple times. His jeans and shirt, an untucked, white button-down, were old and faded. He wore dark hiking boots but had not bothered to tie them, only sticking the laces into his shoes. Tied around his wrist was a ribbon with a bell, something Kaname was certain had belonged to Shizuka Hiou. He had completed his outfit with a black duster that had seen better days and an old-fashioned canteen sealed with a preservation spell.

The sleep-compulsion was still holding strong, so Kaname wasted little time in hauling the boy up and dangling him over one shoulder. There were dungeons beneath the Moon Dorm, but if he brought Zero there, then he would have to answer pesky questions. He decided to go to the headmaster's estate instead and moved at a speed he usually avoided. He did not want to run into any of the prefects just yet.

Kaien and Toga were still talking when he returned. Kaname expected they had moved on to more personal matters. Both were shocked into silence when he threw open the door with a limp body hanging over his shoulder.

"Do you have a spare room?" he asked Kaien. Knowing the answer was yes and exactly where they all were.

"Of course," sputtered the headmaster. "Who is that?"

"This?" Kaname paused for affect. He allowed himself a bit of pureblood drama. "This is the vampire killer, Zero Kiryu."

End.

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><p>This is my first time posting, so I hope you enjoyed it. Please don't ask me who the pairings are going to be, I don't exactly know yet myself. Please let me know if you felt any of the characters were too out-of-character. I know there isn't much to go on yet, but I don't want have to do any extreme personality shift later.<p>

Thanks for reading. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight

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><p>Chapter Two<p>

Kaname deposited the sleeping Zero in a free room while Kaien and Yagari recovered from their shock. At Yagari's insistence, Kaname removed the sleeping-compulsion. He was careful to only remove the compulsion and not forcefully awaken the boy. Despite the hour, it was a little past midnight approaching on one o'clock, Zero remained fast asleep. Most vampires would be wide awake at this time of night. Kaname recalled that he had woken Zero earlier. A curious fact that he had forgotten in his haste to demand answers and then avoid being shot.

The pureblood took the opportunity to show off the gun he had taken from the sleeping Zero. Yagari confirmed that it was the missing Bloody Rose. The gun had been stolen from the Vampire Hunters' Association nearly five years before. The president had launched an investigation, anti-vampire weapons, even ones that required a vampire to wield them, were rare and much desired, but the thief had never been discovered. Yagari was astonished that his student had been the one to take the gun. Kaname slid the weapon back into his pocket using the excuse that it would do their cause no good for the VHA to find the missing gun in Yagari or Kaien's possession.

Yagari had settled himself at Zero's bedside. He had regretted fiercely what happened to the Kiryu Clan. He was going to lookout for his former student's welfare. Kaname had taken a position next to the door. He was still wary of the hunter-turned-vampire, especially since he was convinced the boy should be a level E. If Zero launched himself at Yagari's throat upon awakening, Kaname would not hesitate to end him permanently. Cross had joined them to satisfy his own curiosity.

Close to two o'clock, Zero began to stir. The world seemed to take a collective gasp of anticipation as the boy blinked himself awake. His aura, which had been tightly controlled when he attacked and next to nothing while he slept, radiated puzzlement as he stared at the ceiling. Zero turned and caught sight of Yagari's face. For a brief moment, his aura was full of joy. Then curiosity crept in, followed closely by concern, and then nervousness.

Kaname could track the boy's mood by his aura alone, but the light in his eyes also gave him away. As Zero's emotions ratcheted up toward full-fledged panic, his eyes started to shift from lavender to red. His gaze trailed across the room. Catching sight of Cross, Zero quickly pushed himself up and back, hunching his shoulders like a cornered animal and growling softly. The minute he locked eyes with Kaname, the pureblood knew they were doomed.

Zero half-leaned half-jumped against the wall behind him. With a smooth kick, he sent the mattress flying into Yagari. The hunter went down with a breathless curse. The bed-frame followed forcing Kaien to duck. Kaname was far enough away not to be bothered by either obstacle but refused to move from his position. He wanted to see what the boy would do next.

Zero stared yearningly at Kaname's pocket where Bloody Rose was hidden. He glance from the pureblood to the door and back. He was weighing his options, an act most level Es were incapable of. To Kaname's surprise, the boy ignored both him and the door, apparently giving up the gun for lost, and kicked out the window. He leapt into the night before the pureblood had time to recover from his shock and disappeared into the darkness.

"That was unusual," mused Kaname.

Kaien crawled out from beneath the badly dented bed frame and started dusting off his clothes. Yagari let out a weak moan and shoved away the heavy mattress.

"What just happened?" groaned the hunter.

"Zero escaped," said Kaname helpfully.

Yagari glared at him. Kaname stared evenly back with a falsely innocent gaze. The hunter looked away first, and Kaname allowed the barest trace of a smile to grace his lips. Kaien offered Yagari a hand up, which he refused, then moved to stare anxiously out the window.

"Do you think Zero will cause trouble?" asked Kaien.

"I think he'll hide for the rest of the night," said Kaname. "Dawn is in a few hours. A level E won't move around in the daylight. I don't know about tomorrow."

"Is he a level E, then?" asked Yagari.

The question obviously pained the hunter. To have a Kiryu serve a vampire was a terrible blow to the VHA. But for another to become an ex-human level E, Yagari had to be taking that loss personally. Kaname was hesitant to answer. He did not want to encourage the hunter, but he was still confused by Zero's actions.

"If he has not fallen, he is sure to do so soon," said Kaname eventually. "The prefects have returned from their rounds by now, isn't that right?"

"Yes, they should all be safely inside," said Kaien. "You can check on Yuuki if you'd like."

On any other night, Kaname would have leapt at the offer. However, the emergency meeting earlier and his unscheduled encounter with Zero had left him hours behind on his paperwork. Not to mention, the Night Class would be restless without an explanation of his absence. Instead he excused himself and took the most direct path back to the Moon Dorm.

Less than twenty yards away from the building, unfortunately close enough for the Night Class to sense his presence, Kaname was forced to stop. He turned to face the woods circling the Moon Dorm.

"I know you're there," he said firmly. "Come here."

Zero Kiryu appeared at the edge of the trees like a ghost. He moved toward Kaname but left a large distance between them. He was utterly silent as he walked, and his entire focus was on the pureblood. Zero was prepared to react to the slightest twitch. Kaname had rare experience as prey. He wondered if it was the vampire hunter or the vampire that was stalking him.

"You continue to surprise me, Zero. I did not think you would show yourself again tonight," said Kaname.

"Give me my gun back," ordered Zero.

"Your gun?" teased Kaname. "I thought it belong to the Hunters' Association."

"And you're a member? I think not, Mr. President of the Night Class," retorted Zero.

Kaname, who did not treat defiance from lesser vampires lightly, was oddly pleased by this reply. Ex-humans still had the capability of speech, even if they didn't utilize it, but sarcasm showed signs of wit. Base desires eroded intellect during the initial fall of a level E.

"Why don't you tell me what you're doing here first?" asked Kaname.

"I'm here for my gun," said Zero bluntly.

Kaname did not know if the boy was trying to be smart, but his attitude annoyed him. Even if Zero could control himself, Kaname did not want an armed unknown running around his school. He glared icily at the boy. Zero started twitching beneath the ferocity of the pureblood's stare, he shifted uneasily from foot to foot, and his gaze darted across the clearing looking for an out. Kaname lessened his glare. He did not want the boy running off again.

"Tell me why you are here," Kaname repeated adding the steel of an order to his voice.

Zero glared at him enraged. He clearly sensed the power of a pureblood's will and resented it. A low growl issued from his throat. Kaname found himself wishing that most vampires were half as defiant as this one. Life would be so much more interesting if that were the case.

A spear of ice thudded down next to Zero feet. It would have been in his chest had the ex-human not dodged in time. The ice was followed by a whip line of fire, which Zero also managed to avoid. Kaname glanced briefly at the Moon Dorms, preparing to order his followers to stop, when to his astonishment they both hit the ground following a flash of light. He looked quickly back to Zero, but he had already disappeared back into the trees.

Kaname decided not to pursue him now that he knew the boy would come back for his gun. Instead he walked quickly to the Moon Dorms to check on Kain and Aido. They were still alive but unconscious. They also looked more than a little scorched and their clothes were warm to the touch. Zero could seemingly still use hunter-magic though Kaname had never seen this particular spell used before. The rest of the Night Class poured out of the building. Seiren appeared at Kaname's side silently radiating concern.

"I am fine," he said quietly reassuring both her and the rest of the vampires. "Someone needs to take these two inside."

Ruka and Takuma volunteered and soon everyone was back inside the dorms. Kaname took a seat in the common room, wearily resigning himself to catching up on paperwork the next evening, and waited for the questions to begin. His "court" took seats around him barring the two that were unconscious. The rest of the Night Class hovered nervously around the room. None of the vampires were sure exactly what had happened and all of them were upset by the attack.

Kaname provided them with a very basic description of what had happened. They all knew of the vampire killer's movements and that he had been spotted close to the campus. He let them know that a probable suspect was on campus and that he had confronted Kaname. When attacked by Kain and Aido, he had retaliated with force.

"I do not want any of you looking for this person. You must continue to act as normally as possible so as not to alarm the other students. The prefects and instructor Yagari are overseeing the situation," said Kaname firmly.

"Kuran-sama, what will the humans be able to do against a person who took out Akatsuki-san and Hanabusa-san in one blow?" asked one of the younger Night Class members.

"The prefects have the advantage of being human. They will not be affected by anti-vampire magic, which is what knocked Kain and Aido unconscious," said Kaname gently.

He reinforced his words with a calming wave of power. The effect rippled through the gathered vampires. Slowly they withdrew, confident in that the pureblood would insure their safety. Eventually only Kaname and his court of friends were left.

"Are Kain and Aido going to be okay, Kaname-sama?" asked Ruka fretfully.

Kaname offered his assurances on the matter. He doubted either boy would be dealing with more than an headache upon awakening. Of course, Aido would complain about his frizzy hair. But the spell Zero used appeared to be nothing more than a concentrated burst of sunlight, stronger than the average hunter could produce and decidedly unpleasant but nothing lethal.

"Takuma, I would like to have the senate's assembled reports on the Kiryu Clan as soon as possible," said Kaname.

"Kiryu!" screeched Ruka. "Is that little brat of Kurenai's the one who attacked you, Kaname-sama?"

"Calm yourself, Ruka-chan. I strongly believe Ichiru Kiryu is dead," said Kaname. In fact, he knew Kiryu was dead. Maria Kurenai had written him the news personally.

That silenced her quickly enough. The rest of his friends looked shocked. Despite the fact that Cross Academy was supposed to be a meeting ground for humans and vampires, very little direct interaction took place. For the one human that had treated them like equals—not monsters or gods—to be dead was an unpleasant reminder of the mortality of human life.

"I am interested in the abilities of the Kiryu Clan in general," explained Kaname.

"But if Kiryu is dead," said Takuma hesitantly, "wasn't he the last of that clan?"

Kaname enjoyed playing with his friends, even if it meant playing with their minds a little along the way. They were so much less jaded than their predecessors. He smiled sweetly, so they knew he was having fun.

"Ah, you see, Ichiru had a twin brother, one the Vampire Hunters' Association believed was dead, but now we have clear evidence to the contrary. This is the Kiryu that concerns me now."

Kaname dismissed his friends shortly after that and went upstairs to check on Kain and Aido. They were still unconscious but their condition had not worsened. Kaname thought it unlikely that it would. If Zero had been meaning to kill the two vampires, he probably could have done so using a stronger spell. Kaname was not pleased by the realization that he could have lost two of his most reliable friends so easily. He had assumed that he would be able to protect them from Zero, but if the boy took him by surprise again, then the outcome was less than favorable.

Later he would order Seiren to begin accumulating data on the ex-human's movements over the past few years. Previously both the Vampire Senate and the Hunters' Association had assumed the vampire killer was a rogue hunter, but a newly turned human would leave an entirely different set of signs. He would also have to order Seiren to stand down if the boy reappeared while she was around. If Zero had a scaled response to aggression, his loyal bodyguard would get herself killed.

Kaname ignored the paper forms lying on his desk in favor of bed. It had been an eventful night. If Zero were to appear again, he would need his strength for the morrow. He slept shelving the problem of the Kiryu for a time when he had more information. Sleep carried him away to the past. He dreamed of ancient battles and silver-haired, purple-eyed warriors that poured forth as a tidal wave. Each one bore the face of Zero Kiryu.

End.

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><p>AN: Thank you my wonderful reviewers. I was greatly encouraged by your replies and comments on how this story might progress. Please keep the feed-back coming, especially concerning out of character behavior and how you expect them to act. This is an AU (and will become more obviously so in later chapters), but the characters should be relatively normal.

Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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><p>Chapter Three<p>

When Kaname rose the next afternoon, he was pleased to see Kain and Aido were both up and moving about. Predictably, Aido was complaining about the dryness of his hair, not that the average human would be able to see through a vampire's allure in any event, but it was the principle of the matter that bothered the noble. Kain was looking a little more ruffled than usual even considering his normally messy look. The fire-user was even less accustomed to being burned than his ice-manipulating cousin.

Kaname spent most of the night looking for Zero without betraying his intentions to the rest of the Night Class. Takuma informed him that the requested documents were on the way and Seiren reported no suspicious activity around campus. That was the most any of the vampires referenced the previous night's encounter. The ex-human did not appear in any event. Rendering Kaname's watchfulness useless.

Instead of returning immediately to the Moon Dorm with the rest of the Night Class, Kaname decided to visit Headmaster Cross first. He suspected that the sight of so many vampires might have intimidated Zero and prevented him from seeking out Kaname.

Kaien and Yagari were waiting for him when he arrived. The prefects were busy with their morning duties, so Kaname took the time to explain what had happened the previous day.

"No one was seriously injured?" asked Kaien.

"Kain and Aido were unconscious for some time, but they had recovered by the evening," said Kaname patiently.

"Why didn't you tell us about your encounter immediately?" demanded Yagari.

Kaname frowned at his tone. "I needed to soothe the Night Class." He shifted his gaze Kaien. "You did agree to give me authority over the vampires on campus."

"Zero was a hunter, and if he has degenerated to a level E, then he is our problem, not yours," said Yagari roughly.

"Calm yourself," snapped Kaname. He waited for the hunter settle back into his chair before he continued, "I do not believe that Zero is a level E. I do not know how he held back the transformation for so long. What can you tell me about the Kiryu Clan?"

Toga frowned into the fireplace. Of all the living hunters, he had been closest to the deceased Kiryus. He had even been permitted to train Ichiru and Zero. Their sudden deaths and the unexpected loss of his students had been hard for him.

"The Kiryu was a very old clan of vampire hunters. They had existed in their current form, much longer than the current Vampire Hunters' Association. From what I learned when I investigated the records, the Kiryu evolved at a parallel track along with several other clans and did not ally themselves with the Association until the other hunter clans had died or been assimilated. As a result many of their techniques and methods were taught exclusively to the clan members and were considered unusable by the Association at large," explained Yagari.

Kaname and Kaien both stared at him in surprise. Yagari ignored them by staring pensively at the floor.

"I had no idea the Kiryu were at odds with the Association," said Cross mildly.

"They weren't at odds exactly," protested Yagari. "They were just separate. The Kiryu did things differently. It made for some rocky relations with the Association, but that was centuries ago."

"What do the Association's records say about the abilities of the Kiryu?" asked Kaname. "I did not expect him to be able to take down two nobles in a single blow."

Yagari sighed, removed his hat, and ran a hand through his hair. "Like I said, the Kiryu were separate. They took missions from the Association but did their own thing. I only worked with them a few times in the field and most of what I saw was enhanced spell techniques and excellent aim. All the Association's records have to say is that "the Kiryu possess clarity of sight" whatever that means."

"You seem to be well-acquainted with the Kiryus' files," said Kaname gently prodding.

"When they died, the house was very well protected. Even a pureblood like Hiou shouldn't have been able just to walk in the door. I was looking for someone that might have had a grudge against the Kiryu," admitted Yagari.

Kaname said nothing. He had suspected as much. What the hunter told him was really not that different from what he himself knew of the Kiryu. He would have to look through the records Takuma would provide. Perhaps there was some mention of them in the Kuran archives. He had never paid much attention to vampire hunters after their creation. Kaname only sought to manipulate them as he did the Council of Elders.

Toga's mood had darkened as he discussed the deaths of his friends and a potential betrayal by the Hunters' Association. The idea that Ichiru had been the one to condemn his family to death had by no means provided a silver lining to the situation. Kaname took the opportunity to leave. He would let Kaien console his friend with happy memories.

On the way back to the Moon Dorm, Kaname expected to be confronted again by Zero. However, the boy remained conspicuously absent. When the dormitory came in sight, Kaname could Seiren and Takuma waiting for him near the doors. They both relaxed when they saw in arrive unharmed. Apparently, he was not the only one expecting a repeat of the previous morning's performance. Kaname was oddly disappointed by the missed opportunity to study the unusual ex-human. He forced himself to remember that random attacks were not pleasant and that the boy would show up for his gun eventually.

The rest of the week continued much the way of that first day. There was no sign of Zero anywhere and business among the Night Class continued as normal. Ruka, who was surprisingly good friends with the girl-prefect, Saboten, said there had been no sign of the rogue anywhere on campus. His own brief discussions with Yuuki implied the same, though Cross' adopted daughter always insisted that she was doing her best to protect the Night Class. Aido eventually stopped complaining about his ruined hair and moved on to regular topics.

The only noticeable difference among the Night Class was that several of the more military minded students had begun practicing combat exercises. As they were very discrete in their practice, Kaname allowed them to continue. It was ludicrous to think that the nobles would see any fighting in the near future, and Kaname found himself saddened by the idea. But as practice made them feel safer, the pureblood was willing to encourage it.

Kaname was supremely grateful for whatever soul invented the computer. The amount of information the Senate possessed on the Kiryu was staggering. Records of battles between the hunters and vampires had been recorded as long as the Senate had existed. Many of the noble and pureblood houses had contributed their own observations about the hunters in order to better serve the vampire race. If Kaname had been sent the original records, he would have been driven out of his rooms. Instead the information fit neatly on a single thumb drive.

Sadly, most of the information pertaining to the Kiryu were records of losses. Most vampires close enough to observe their abilities close-hand ended up dead. Kaname resigned himself to a long search through the files. He spent most of his free time on the project as there was so much information and ended up falling asleep much later in the morning.

After a week of this behavior, Kaname had almost resigned himself to the idea that Zero had been frightened away for good. He had eaten an early (for the humans) breakfast with Yuuki and Cross and returned to the Moon Dorms using the path where he had first discovered Zero. As usual, he stopped by the cherry tree where the boy had slept and saw no signs but his own. He reached the Moon Dorm in time to greet Shiki and Rima as they left for a photo shoot. He read through a few more accounts of vampire encounters with Kiryu clan members then decided to call it a night and prepare for bed.

Kaname was just drifting off to sleep when the door to his balcony unlatched and started to swing open. He snapped awake instantly and jumped out of bed. He strained his eyes against the mid-morning light. The curtains billowed in the breeze. He smelled the sweet scent of a spring morning and the sharp, bitter smell of an angry ex-human. Zero was silhouetted in the sunlight. Kaname growled in mild exasperation. Of course the boy had chosen a completely inappropriate time to confront Kaname again.

"I want my gun," said Zero.

Kaname sighed. "I don't suppose you can say anything else."

Zero remained silent and still refusing to rise to the bait. Kaname glided to his dresser, carefully skirted the patch of sunlight not blocked by Zero's body, and removed Bloody Rose from the top drawe He turned around holding the anti-vampire gun and just managed to catch the former hunter taking an unconscious step closer. He wondered if the boy had unlocked the weapon's true form. Kaname had not seen it ages.

"Give it here," said Zero menacingly.

Kaname was nonplussed. True, Zero had been rather forceful in demanding his gun back, but even he had not dared to order a pureblood. Rather belatedly. Kaname noticed that Zero was once more suppressing his aura. It had to be something he could consciously control. It also explained how he had avoided attention all week. Kaname wondered if his unusual defiance could be contributed to Zero's stubborn nature, or if he so rarely felt like a vampire that he did not act like one.

"I am not about to give Bloody Rose up to you just like that," said Kaname icily.

Zero snarled but did not move any closer to Kaname or the gun. Some part of him still must have feared the pureblood. Idly Kaname considered keeping the weapon until Zero broke and attacked him for it.

"You're not going to just give it away?" probed Zero.

Inwardly, Kaname smirked. The boy was intelligent enough. He might have been brilliant had he not been subjected to the damning effects of a pureblood's bite. He would never be able to follow a pureblood's machinations to their conclusion.

"Let's make a bargain," said Kaname.

Zero took two cautious steps forward presumably to better see Kaname's face. His eyes were bright red, and there was deadly, calculating glow in the depths. Had Kaname been a lesser vampire, he might have shivered. Instead he felt a cold thrill of terror rush through his veins. He had seen that mad light in another's gaze, that of Shizuka Hiou.

"What sort of bargain?" asked Zero.

"You tell me why you came to Cross Academy, and I will give you Bloody Rose," said Kaname. Silently Kaname added, _and kill you if necessary._

Zero narrowed his eyes. Against the back drop of bright morning sun he looked more real, more solid, less like an ethereal being of night. He looked how a hunter ought to look. Not a bloody-minded creature consumed by rage, but a sun-touched Knight burning with righteous fury.

"Okay," said Zero cutting through the vision.

Kaname blinked slowly then stared at him expectantly. Zero looked uneasy, but eventually his expression resolved to steady blankness.

"When I heard about this place, I wanted to see it for myself."

"That's all?" blurted Kaname.

"A place where humans and vampires live in harmony?" said Zero sarcastically.

Kaname's brain shifted back into gear. He supposed anyone with a knowledge of vampires would be interested in their little project. Humans would be hopeful and vampires disgusted. Hunters, for the most part, were distrustful. Kaname wondered which category Zero fell into.

"What are your intentions?" demanded Kaname harshly.

"I just wanted to see," snapped Zero.

Kaname sighed and tossed Zero the gun. The boy deftly snatched Bloody Rose from the air. He quickly checked over the gun, including the cartridge, which Kaname was surprised to see was loaded with real bullets. The weapon did not need bullets to kill vampires. In fact, they usually got in the way.

Zero started backing out of the room.

"Wait," said Kaname.

Zero paused, startled and suspicious.

"You could stay here," offered Kaname.

A curious expression crossed the ex-human's face. It was simultaneously yearning and hunted. He started to sink, an instinctive choice to bend his knees in preparation to run away. Kaname silently despaired of getting to hang around for more than the barest conversation.

"I'm dangerous," said Zero quietly.

"You would, of course, have to stay in the Moon Dorms," said Kaname.

Zero gave a look that conveyed exactly how much he thought of that idea. It also suggested that putting him with the vampires would make him no less dangerous.

"I'll think about it," said Zero.

Kaname saw his eyes were pure lavender. The human in Zero wanted to stay. The hunter noticed Kaname's attention and his eyes flickered back to red as fast as someone flipping a switch. He straightened and back out of the room. Zero closed the door, perhaps to add an additional barrier between the two of them. Then he leaped off the balcony and sprinted back to the woods.

Kaname let him go without a word. He knew Zero would contact him again. That expression had promised Kaname as much.

End.

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><p>AN: Thank you so much for your reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As you can see, I've done a bit of world-building regarding the Kiryu. Nothing should be too obtrusive.

Please review. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

* * *

><p>Chapter Four<p>

"He's scaring the children," said Kaien.

Had Kaname been anymore startled he might have sloshed his tea. The rest of the table reacted in their usual manner. Yuuki blushed red with embarrassment. Kaito glared at the headmaster. Saboten twitched slightly but continued with her meal. Yagari joined Kaname in a pointed stare at Cross. Apparently, he felt no need to say more and was waiting for them to reply.

"Has he been menacing the students?" asked Kaname as he placed his cup gently on the saucer.

"Well, no I don't think any of them have actually seen Zero," began Kaien.

Yuuki squeaked then squeaked again when they all turned to stare at her.

"I, um, well," she took a deep breath, "on Wednesday Miko and Tori snuck off to, um, you know. Anyway, they found Zero sleeping and came and got me because he was a stranger and didn't recognize him or anything. When I got there he was gone, but it really sounded like Zero with the hair and the clothes and everything."

Mentally, Kaname frowned. Zero had been hanging about for almost two weeks, ever since Kaname had offered him a place at Cross Academy. The hunter-turned-vampire haunted the campus both night and day. He avoided the dormitories and focused on the classrooms. Zero had abandoned the technique that totally suppressed his aura in exchange for one that distributed it evenly across a small area. Those who were sensitive to such things—the Night Class and the prefects primarily—knew he was watching but found it impossible to pinpoint his exact location.

Yagari admitted that he had seen Zero's parents use both techniques to great effect when hunting down more cunning vampires. Unfortunately he knew of no way to counter the ability except to surround Zero and cut off his escape routes. With the boy's vampire speed, there was no way to catch him unless he became careless. Zero was much too wary to be careless.

Kaien was flailing over Yuuki's bravery and recklessness. The group gathered at the table had long since learned how to tune him out. Sunday morning breakfast had become a semi-official meeting to discuss Zero's presence at Cross Academy. Kaien and Yuuki were the only ones truly pleased with Kaname's presence there. Saboten tolerated him with her usual stoicism. Yagari knew enough to Kaname's goals to act like he was ignoring the pureblood. Though no hunter ever truly ignored a vampire. Kaito had protested Kaname's presence loudly at first, but the metabolism of a growing boy kept him at the table anyway.

Saboten wiped her mouth with her napkin then said, "The more sensitive students are starting to notice his presence."

"Are you sure?" asked Yagari. He had more than grudging respect for the self-trained hunter, even if the rest of the Hunter's Association pretended like she did not exist.

"Sales of scarves, shawls, and light jackets have increased. They feel an unnatural chill," she explained.

Kaname's frown threatened to break into reality. He had expected Zero to be difficult. He had not expected him to reveal the presence of vampires to a bunch of school students. Were the boy not so powerful, then Kaname might have been tempted to kill him just to spare himself the headache.

The doorbell rang, neatly interrupting their conversation.

"I wasn't expecting any visitors," said Kaien. "Yuuki, would you get the door?"

Yuuki jumped up, eager to be of use and possibly to get her feelings under control around Kaname, and scurried out of the room. Kaname heightened his senses to listen to her progress. He knew the moment she opened the door, but everything after that was muffled. He could her hear talking to someone, but he could not make out the words of the conversation. It put Kaname on edge and as a result put the hunters on edge as well.

"She's bringing the visitor with her," said Kaname to the rest of the room.

He could hear Yuuki's familiar shuffle. Her gait was much smoother now than it ever was around Kaname. He made her far nervous and therefore unsteady, but he had watched her from afar often enough to recognize it. He could not hear her companion's footsteps, but Yuuki was chattering away at someone. Her voice had a half-friendly, half-nervous quality he had only heard her use around Yagari for the first few days of their acquaintance. She opened the door to the dining room. There, standing behind her shoulder, was Zero.

Kaname did not gape. In fact, he was not terribly surprised by the boy's unexpected arrival. Zero never did anything the way Kaname expected. Only the prefects appeared unusually excited by his arrival. Saboten because she had never seen Zero before, and Kaito because he had not seen the boy in so long. They both recovered quickly and watched Zero with wary gazes. Yuuki glanced nervously from Zero to Kaname then hurried back to her seat.

Zero let the door swing shut behind him then crossed his arms and leaned casually back against the door frame. Kaname found that very little had changed about Zero's appearance since his last good look at the boy. He was wearing the same outfit, probably the same clothes, but he had cleaned them at least. They did not fit quite as well as Kaname had first assumed. Zero was too skinny and they hung off his body in the wrong places. Compared to his mental image of Ichiru Kiryu, Zero looked gaunt. His eyes were currently devoid of any trace of vampiric red even when he glanced over Kaname. The pureblood was mildly impressed.

"Won't you have a seat, Zero?" asked Kaien.

"I'm fine, thank you," said Zero gruffly.

Kaname wondered what was driving Zero to be so polite now, when before he had practically assaulted Kaname and broken into his room. Perhaps Zero was acting different because of the humans. But then again, he had thrown a mattress at his old teacher.

Yagari was apparently remembering the same thing given the frown on his face. "What are you doing here, Zero?"

Zero's gaze slid to Kaname briefly then to Kaien. "Mr. President-of-the-Night-Class offered me a place in your school."

"Did he?" murmured Kaien quietly.

The headmaster was unusually subdued. Perhaps, he too remembered the mattress and the rather harder frame. He glance meaningfully at Kaname. The pureblood refused to acknowledge the look. The one time they had discussed Zero staying at the Academy, Kaname had said the boy would be in the Night Class. If Kaname had other reasons to keep the former hunter close, he would not be sharing them with Kaien.

"Zero, where have you been?" blurted Kaito.

He had not blushed. Hunters were trained not to flush when they were aggravated so as not to attract vampires, but the young hunter looked embarrassed nonetheless. He also looked just a tiny bit desperate. Like Yagari, Kaito probably felt guilty over Kiryu's betrayal and Zero's vampirism.

"I have been around campus learning about how the school works," said Zero sidestepping the larger question.

Kaito did not try to ask again, and Kaien jumped on Zero's words with his usual enthusiasm. "Have you been enjoying your self-guided tour?"

"Your school is a lie," snapped Zero.

Conversation ground to halt. Kaien recoiled slightly as if stung. Kaname stared at Zero in a vague impression of shock. Next to Kaien, Yuuki was growing to steadily redder by the second.

"How dare you say that?" demanded Yuuki. "What we're trying to accomplish here is very important. Humans and vampires are living in peace—

"They are not," countered Zero. "All Cross Academy proves is that ignorant humans can live near vampires under the control of a pureblood without being eaten. That is neither peace nor harmony. It is a lie."

This pronouncement was met by an awkward silence. Kaname himself had entertained thoughts along these lines. It was Juri and Haruka's desire to promote peace between the two races. The pureblood was using the school for more selfish reasons and had not encouraged relations between his vampires and the humans. Ruka's casual friendship with Saboten was the closest any of them had come to peace.

"What about us?" asked Saboten referring to the prefects. "We know who are neighbors are."

Zero rolled his eyes. "Your job is to keep the two groups separate with the authority to use force against vampires if necessary. Sounds like hunters to me."

The fact five of the seven occupants had been or were currently hunters did not go unnoticed by Saboten or anyone else. She shut her mouth and glared back at him. Unlike Yuuki, whose brief spark of anger had been quenched by hurt, Saboten was more than capable of holding a grudge. Kaname had no idea of Saboten's personal feelings regarding Cross Academy. All he knew of her history was that her orphanage had been attacked by vampires, she had escaped and somehow made her way to Cross' welcoming arms. She had trained herself as a hunter and used a hunter's weapon. She was serious, practical, and judged humans and vampires both on their individual mertis. He had a feeling she did not like him very much.

Kaname doubted Zero had bothered to come all this way to simply insult Kaien's school. If Zero had wanted to leave, he would have simply left without a word. The boy was too honest, too defiant, and, despite his cutting words, he was all too human.

"The Vampire Senate does not believe it is a good idea to reveal our presence to humans. It would be illegal to tell the students what we are. They must figure it out for themselves," said Kaname.

Zero stared at him flatly. He had been on the receiving end of Kaname's power, even if it was just a small portion. He likely believed Kaname could order the Senate otherwise, and he was right. But Kaname had no such interest at the moment and was unlikely to develop it in the near or distant future. He had more than enough problems needing his attention without unnecessarily adding more.

Kaname pressed on regardless. "In the future, those students who have attended Cross Academy may be more inclined to change how things are done. For now, we have relatively few options."

Zero clearly did not believe him. Yuuki seemed to be the only one that actually did. Nonetheless, it eased the tension between Kaien and Zero. It would not be too out of place for the headmaster to offer or for Zero to accept.

The Headmaster took the out. "Someday, I hope Cross Academy can be a place without these borders, but for now we must settle for what we have."

Zero had regained his head enough not to say anything. Kaname was pleased. Even Yuuki looked mildly hopeful.

"Would you like to stay at Cross Academy?" asked Kaien.

"I have no funds to pay tuition or board," said Zero automatically.

It had been ever so slight, but Kaname caught Zero looking at Yagari and Kaito before answering. The boy wanted to reconnect with his mentor and friend, an ideal sentiment in Kaname's mind. It would tie Zero more tightly to the school than the vain hope of far-off peace.

Yagari stirred in his seat. "I don't know what happened to your parents' accounts but the Association—

"No!" snarled Zero. It was not so much word as a vicious, guttural sound of defiance.

His proclamation was accompanied by a wave of blood-thirsty rage and pain. Whatever strength of will Zero had been using to keep the monster at bay had disappeared. The hunters were on their feet in an instant, hands reaching for weapons they had mutually agreed to leave in their rooms. Kaname could pick up anxiety from Kaien and Yagari. Yuuki had obviously flashed back to that snowy night long ago when Kaname had saved her. Saboten appeared to be remembering her own horror. Kaito was quietly despairing.

Kaname remained seated. He had more than enough experience being on the receiving end of Zero's rage already. Apparently, the boy's anger was sparked equally by vampires and vampire hunters. It was a curious and problematic condition. Perhaps he had been hunted at some point in the last few years. Kaname kept his speculations to himself.

Kaname smelled blood, a familiar sweet scent. Yuuki had held clenched her fists so tightly together that she had drawn had blood. He glanced sharply at Zero. The boy's gaze had gained a hungry quality that Kaname disliked in the extreme. The ex-human closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were back to normal, not even rimmed in red.

"What the hell?" murmured Kaito quietly.

The pureblood voiced similar sentiments in the privacy of his own mind. A noble would be enticed by Yuuki's blood. An ex-human as low as Zero appeared to be should not have been able to control his hunger at all.

"I will come back later," said Zero quietly as he reached for the doorknob.

"When you come back, bring the rest of your things," said Kaien. "We'll move you into a new room."

Zero had taken his usual approach when Kaname was in the room and started backing out rather than turning around. His incredulity was obvious. Zero likely had nothing else than the clothes he was wearing. He did not stop though, and Kaname could hear him practically fly through the house once the door to the dining room was shut.

Kaname turned to Kaien. "I will pay Zero's tuition and board."

Yuuki excused herself to go clean up, and Saboten went with her to help bandage her hands. Kaien, Yagari, and Kaito all sat back down uneasily after the sudden surge of adrenalin.

"Why are you paying for him?" asked Kaito suspiciously.

Kaname ignored him and addressed Kaien in a blatant snub. "Zero is a vampire and will have to stay in the Moon Dorm. The Senate members will be uncomfortable with the idea a former hunter living with their children. Having some small leverage over Zero, however nominal, will go far in reassuring them."

"You're going to hold it over Zero's head?" demanded Kaito. "What has he done to deserve that?"

"My reasons are perfectly valid," said Kaname stiffly. "What will you do when Zero asks where the money came from? Tell him you received a dispensation from the Vampire Hunters' Association? We all saw how well that went."

Kaito opened his mouth, likely to say something scathingly mundane, but Yagari cut him off. "If Zero bothered to ask this time, he will do it again and we need an answer. Does the school have funds for a scholarship or something?"

Kaien bit his lip. "A need-based scholarship should cover his books and clothes and maybe provide some spending money, but I can't give him anything more without asking for a state test. Zero hasn't been in a proper school since he was twelve. There's no way he'll pass."

"Then we will have to follow Kaname's solution for now," said Yagari. "I will try to free up Zero's parents money, so he has something to lean on when this is over."

An unusually optimistic statement from the hunter, mused Kaname. He hardly cared about Zero's finances. He needed another string to tie the boy to himself. The pureblood could already see the path that was created by having the former hunter in his debt. The boy would pay his debts. Promises were the currency that kept the near immortal society of vampires in motion. His parents would have drilled their importance into Zero's mind from a young age. No matter how unpredictable, his proud, defiant, honest nature would chain Zero to Kaname's will.

End.

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><p>AN: Ooh, spooky. In case you were wondering about Saboten. I got her character profile from Wikipedia, so I think she's a real character. Either way, I'm using her because I need more humans in the know (since Zero really, really does not count as a human in this story). Let me know how you like everything so far and how the characterizations are.

Please review. Thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

* * *

><p>Chapter Five<p>

Kaname chose not to wait at the headmaster's estate for Zero's return. He had a busy schedule and needed to prepare for the evening. It would not do for a pureblood to give the impression of waiting on an ex-human in the first place. He returned to the Moon Dorm, ordering another room prepared and a spare uniform assembled, then had a brief rest. He was well awake when half-an-hour after sunset Seiren reported Yagari and Kaito approaching the dorm escorting an unfamiliar vampire.

Kaname gracefully descended to the entrance way of the Moon Dorm. As president of the Night Class, it was his responsibility to welcome all new students and in this instance prevent Aido and Kain from preemptively attacking. He was hardly surprised to see his court of friends assembled in the main area. While most of the vampires attending Cross Academy usually slept in after sundown on the weekends, his friends had to have known he was plotting something. Takuma looked particularly suspicious after having seen the request for the opened room.

"I didn't realize we weren't expecting a new student at this point in the year," he said carefully.

"We weren't until this morning," offered Kaname. "I didn't mean to inconvenience you."

Takuma's suspicions deepened and rightly so, Kaname almost never apologized for anything. As a pureblood, he was obliged not to except, in very few cases usually involving murder, to other purebloods. It was a subtle signal on Kaname's part that he was inviting trouble for the Moon Dorm.

A single knock preceded the opening of doors. Yagari pushed them open, revealing Kaito and their new arrival standing further back. The younger hunter was wearingly an openly hostile expression. Yagari and Zero, on the other hand, had curiously matching blank faces. Their bodies gave them away though. Yagari was tense and frustrated while Kiryu was skittishly shifting from side-to-side.

"Welc-urk!" Takuma, who had automatically turned to give the welcoming speech to their new arrival, barely managed a syllable before he caught sight of their new classmate.

"You!" screeched Aido in an impressively high voice. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Aido," said Kaname softly.

That was enough to stop the raging blond. The handful of ice he had been forming vanished. Kain also dispersed his fire, and the rest of the Night Class looked to Kaname for explanations. He ignored the near demanding looks on some of their faces.

"This is Zero Kiryu," explained Kaname. "He will be joining us as a member of the Night Class starting today. I hope you will all do your best to make him feel comfortable."

Kaname would be highly interested to see their best. Zero had managed aggravate him practically every time they met. His friends, who were all, mentally anyway, much younger than himself, would likely find the ex-human supremely irritating. He was already in Aido's black book and quite possibly Kain's too, though the fire-user was usually much more relaxed than his hot-headed cousin. For the moment, however, the vampires backed down at his request.

Takuma gave a pointed, almost wounded, look. "Come in, Kiryu. I'll show you to your room."

Zero's skittish shuffling had vanished to be replaced a deadly sort of grace. He took three very calm strides into the Moon Dorm and stopped, waiting. He was still wearing the same outfit, but Kananme was surprised to see slung over his shoulder, in addition to the still sealed canteen, a worn-out saddle bag. It clunked as Zero walked, indicating that its contents were metallic and heavy. Kaname was mildly curious to see what was inside but was careful not to let his expression show.

Instead he turned and walked back up the stairs to the landing. Zero had proved himself reckless enough to walk into a room full of potentially violent nobles vampires, but he still hadn't come within ten feet of Kaname. The pureblood did not want to stand around forever waiting for someone to make a move. Seiren followed him obediently and continued down the hall at a gesture. He took just enough steps inside the second floor hall to hide him from sight before using his power to hide himself from all senses. He quickly, but silently, walked back out to watch Zero interact with his court.

Ruka had pushed her way to the front of the group and was practically staring down the ex-human. Zero's eyes were still lavender. Kaname wondered if that meant he wasn't going to attack her or didn't consider her a threat.

"So you're Zero Kiryu," she said. "Are you anything like that bastard brother of yours?"

Zero jerked back. It was just a tiny movement, and if Kaname had not been looking for such a sign, he would have missed it. There was dismay on Zero's face at the mention of his brother and an infinitesimal touch of sorrow. Mention of Ichiru was apparently a trigger for the young ex-human. All of that emotion was felt in an instant, only to be replaced by cold anger on the part Zero. Kaname wondered if he would need to intervene.

"No," said Kaito. "Zero is not like Ichiru at all."

The hunter's words startled the vampires, diffusing the tension in the air. They had all forgotten that the two hunters were still standing outside the open doors.

"What are you still doing here?" demanded Aido still angry and willing to take it out on anyone not forbidden by Kaname.

Takuma elbowed the excitable blond in the ribs and inclined his head graciously toward the hunters. "Thank you for escorting Kiryu here, but we'll see to him now."

Yagari grunted and turned away from the dorm. Kaito reluctantly followed, unconsciously unwilling to let Zero out of his sight.

"Don't forget, what I said, okay," cautioned the younger hunter, before he followed his master.

The doors of the Moon Dorm swung closed again. Now Zero really was alone with the students of the Night Class. He didn't seem to be bothered though. Ruka had backed out Zero's space enough that what had been lethal intent was scaled back to mere lethal ability.

"I suppose, Kaito would know," admitted Ruka.

Takuma neatly planted himself in the distance between Ruka and Zero. The vice-president gave his friends a charming smile. "I really do need to show Kiryu to his room. I'm sure you all have places you need to be right now anyway."

Ruka snorted and stalked off. Kain and Aido followed her, both of them giving Kiryu pointed glares before they left. For now they would place nice because Kaname asked them to. That was all the pureblood expected of them anyway.

"Your room is upstairs, Kiryu-san. This way," said Takuma.

Zero maintained a solid three foot separation as he followed Takuma up the stairs. When they reached the landing where Kaname was standing still hidden to the sense, Zero nearly pressed himself into the wall to get away from the pureblood. The ex-human gave no active sign of recognition, but some subconscious part of his mind must have remained unaffected by Kaname's power. Kaname was tempted to trail Zero to see what would happen, but now that the ex-human was living under his roof, so to speak, there would be plenty of time for that sort of thing later. Instead Kaname dropped his spell and walked back down to the first floor.

In a proper house, the foyer would be completely separate from the lounge. However, the Moon Dorm was still a dormitory and subscribed to certain patterns. If one walked through the main doors to face the stairs, then on the left were a handful of chairs and sofas, a pool table, a fire place, a piano, and an unnecessarily large television. Sitting on of these sofas were Senri and Rima, who had watched the entirety of Zero's arrival without comment.

"What do you think of our new student?" Kaname asked the silent pair.

The two models exchanged glances. Each wore a surprisingly serious expression when they returned their gazes to Kaname.

"I think he's very dangerous, Kaname-sama," said Senri.

"He feels funny," said Rima. "Funny wrong."

Kaname's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean?"

"Kiryu-san, Zero, feels like a level E," said Senri.

"And he like Kuruizaki-hime," added Rima.

"And a little like you, Kaname-sama," concluded Senri.

Kaname stared at them in surprise. It took quite a bit to surprise the pureblood, and he had never expected anything this pair said to shock him. They were emotionally so far removed from everything and so highly analytical that listening to them was more like hearing his own thoughts in a different voice. He had expected the level E comment and even the hint of madness akin to Shizuka Hiou but certainly not the last.

"Do you really think he's like me?" asked Kaname.

"Yes, Kaname-sama," said Rima. "That boy is something primal wrapped up to look like a normal person. Most purebloods are like that, and Kaname-sama more than most."

"But we expect it from Kaname-sama," added Senri. "And Zero definitely isn't dangerous like a pureblood."

"That's good to know," said Kaname.

It was good to know. He had never actually noticed anything behaviorally odd about his fellow purebloods compared to other vampires. But then, almost all vampires deferred to him in the same way, pureblood or not. Perhaps something in them could sense the ancientness in him the way Zero had sensed him on the landing. He would need to watch his fellows closely now, and Rima and Senri more so than before.

Just then Takuma appeared leading Zero back down the stairs. The ex-human had left his duster and satchel upstairs, likely at Takuma's insistence, but still had the canteen strapped to his side. Kaname wondered what was in it that was so valuable to the boy, but there was no rush. He was certain he would find out in time.

"There are three staircases total, the main one and one at each end of the building. You can use the windows to leave in case of an emergency, but students from the Day Class try to sneak in from time to time and we don't want anyone to be seen jumping that distance. Now, on the first floor is the main exit, the lounge and the kitchen, as well as other personal rooms," explained Takuma. "There is no kitchen staff as most students don't feel the need to eat normal food or go out if they do, but the kitchen is fully stocked and operational. Also, there are extra blood tablets there if you need to replenish your supply—

"Blood tablets?" asked Zero.

Takuma frowned at him briefly before his expression cleared. "I suppose no one has told you yet. Students at Cross Academy don't drink from humans. We use blood tablets as a substitute. I suppose we had better go get you some."

"Do they really work?"asked Zero.

Kaname heard something like hope in Zero's tone. It was the sweetest sounding thing he had said yet despite the harsh delivery. Senri and Rima had noticed it too as had Takuma though the vice-president schooled his expression of curiosity into reassurance.

"Of course they do," said Takuma. "Why don't we go ahead and get you some?"

It was less of a suggestion and more of an order. Takuma was quite skilled at those. Kaname gave a nod to Senri and Rima and quietly glided after Takuma and Zero. He carefully stayed eleven feet away from Zero, and while the tension in the ex-human's shoulder indicated his recognition of Kaname's presence, the former hunter apparently felt no need to turn around and watch him. Kaname wondered if Zero really thought ten feet would be enough to dodge anything Kaname could try or if the ex-human was that eager to try the blood tablets. The pureblood watched from just inside the door.

The kitchen was beautiful and fully equipped to prepare any kind of meal. A professional chef might have wept to own such a kitchen. Of course, like many rooms owned by vampires, the kitchen looked so perfect because it was so rarely used. It had gained the empty, portrait like-quality that houses owned by sleeping purebloods often held. It existed because it might one day be needed and to be without one would be odd. The one exception to this rule was the cabinet where extra blood tablet packets were stored along with a set of crystal cups, just in case someone really needed a drink.

Takuma pulled out a packet along with a glass. Zero did look like he needed a drink, possibly several. Kaname suspected that the hollowed out look wouldn't disappear without several bodies' worth of fresh human blood but as Zero was a former hunter and unlikely to agree the point was moot.

"Just fill up the glass and drop in a tablet or two," said Takuma. "They'll dissolve and it's almost like drinking an equivalent amount of blood. The nutrients are all there anyway."

Zero followed the instructions with a sort of slow haste like he wanted to try but did want to look like he wanted to try. The boy wasn't really fooling anyone, but no one was heartless enough to say anything. Kaname was certain Zero was stubborn enough to try to go without food if someone pointed out exactly how much he needed. When the tablets had fully dissolved, Zero suddenly looked unsure.

"Are you sure it works?" he asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure," said the ever patient Takuma.

Zero took a small sip and grimaced. His eyes silently asked again.

"It does take some doing getting used to the taste," admitted Takuma. "Some people try to cover it up with wine or juice."

Zero sighed and then chugged down the entire glass. His mouth puckered, his nose wrinkled, and he set down the glass with a watery glare. Kaname resisted the urge to laugh, as that would be unbecoming, but did allow an amused smirk to settle on his lips. Takuma had to hide his grin behind his hand.

"You can have this packet," said Takuma once he recovered himself. "And now you know where the extras are—

He cut off as Zero suddenly blanched and turned toward to the sink. The ex-human wretched violently expelling all of the blood substitute he had just consumed. He didn't stop vomiting as his body tried to reject even the smallest speck of the fake blood, but there wasn't anything left in Zero's stomach except bile. The convulsions worsened and Zero started spitting out blood, his own blood, blood that he could not afford to lose.

"What's wrong?" asked Takuma, even though Zero couldn't answer.

"Step back," said Kaname.

The vice president moved out of his way as the pureblood walked to Zero's side. Kaname was far inside Zero's comfort zone, but the ex-human's body wasn't obeying him at the moment and all the boy could do was lean away. He couldn't even turn his head to glare.

Kaname put his hand on Zero's back and mustered his power as a pureblood. "Stop."

Zero froze. At Kaname's back, Takuma's breath started to stutter as the noble struggled to breathe against the order. The pureblood might have over done the order, but he could feel Zero's body still attempting to revolt beneath his hand. Kaname took another clean glass from the shelf. This one he filled with water and held in front of Zero.

"Drink this," he ordered again.

Zero's arm snapped up as he grabbed at the glass. The boy's eyes were bright red, brighter than was normal even for level Es. In them, Kaname could see resentment, hatred, and reluctant gratitude. Kaname refilled the glass three more times before moving away from Zero and issuing a canceling order.

"Go."

Zero's arm dropped back to the sink to brace him. The ex-human vomited the water in stomach in two tremendous heaves but then fell still. His harsh breathing was the only sound in the room until that too finally quieted. Zero stood slightly hunched with an arm hovering protectively around his stomach. He looked like he wanted to flee, but Kaname stood between him and the only door.

The pureblood reached over to what Zero had used for a glass and tasted what remained of his dose of fake blood. As Kaname suspected, it tasted normal, vile but normal. He set the glass down and gave Zero a speculative look.

"How unfortunate that the only vampire that would prefer a blood substitute to the real thing can't have it. The formula must not be suitable for the consumption of level Es. Whatever you have been eating will have to sustain you for now," said Kaname.

Zero grimaced but kept his mouth shut. Kaname watched him for a moment longer before turning his attention to Takuma. The vice-president looked off-color but was breathing normally again. The instant Kaname turned his gaze away, Zero sped around the center island and darted out of the kitchen.

"I'm surprised he can move that fast in his condition," said Kaname idly. "Are you alright, Takuma?"

"Yes, thank you, Kaname," said Takuma appreciatively. He hesitated then asked, "Do you really think Kiryu is a level E? Is that possible?"

Kaname considered the question. It was one he had asked himself many times since his first encounter with Zero almost a month earlier. Frankly, it was not possible for a level E to function like a human for anything length of time except under the direct control of its master pureblood. Shizuka Hiou was dead, presumably killed by Zero, and somehow the boy had killed her without stabilizing his own nature. It was a puzzle. Kaname enjoyed picking apart puzzles. Zero could probably stand up to the scrutiny. Probably.

End.

* * *

><p>I apologize for the lack of updates. Real life and a virus (of the computer kind) then a monitor failure (also of the computer kind and significantly more permenant) has prevented me from working on this story at all. I will try to do better in the future.<p>

I also realize that the tone of this chapter might not quite match the others, but that's what happens when you don't work on a story for six months.

Please review. Thanks for reading.


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